University students on break help others

Some students will use the time off from classes helping improve the lives of others.

STAFF REPORT

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Nearly a dozen area young people are among the 100 Slippery Rock University students and advisers spending are spending their weeklong spring break, which began Monday, helping others in cities across the country.

Their efforts are part of The Rock’s annual Care Break program, sponsored by the university’s Institute for Community, Service-Learning and Nonprofit Leadership, a campus program designed to help students develop their leadership skills while helping others.

“This is a great opportunity for students to learn leadership and simultaneously provide community service to those in need,” said Jon Frantz, Care Break coordinator.

“Students learn to recruit fellow students, organize the project and raise funds for their transportation. They also learn the benefits of group dynamics as they work to organize the specific projects they will work on at the various cities.”

This year, volunteers will travel to: East Saint Louis, Mo., to work with the East Saint Louis Americorps Program helping in inner-city schools; San Francisco to work with Presidio National Park staff helping restore wildlife habitat and removal of invasive species; Las Vegas to help various homeless organizations; New Orleans to work with the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana on disaster relief from Hurricane Katrina; Seattle, Wash., to work with Emanuel Community Services organization in its efforts with a variety of poverty issues; and San Antonio, Texas, to work with the City Year program helping in community centers as well as working with youngsters in after-school tutoring and mentoring programs.

A group will also travel to the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico to help the American Indian community.

The local participants and the communities they will be helping are:

Crystal Miller of Wampum and Maria Tomasetti of New Castle: San Francisco.

Maximilian Glinsky of Slippery Rock, Margaret Depree of Jamestown and Ryan Mitchell of New Wilmington: New Orleans.

Austin Hawk of Slippery Rock and Jamie Scialdone of New Castle: Las Vegas.

Maria Gargano of Hermitage: San Antonio.

Heather Strong of Grove City, Jodi Womer of West Middlesex and Cathy Powell of Hermitage: New Mexico.